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From The Wit and Humor of America, edited by Marshall P. Wilder, Volume III, New York and London: Funk and Wagnalls and Company, 1911; pp. 444-445.


444

LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE

BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

Little Orphant Annie’s come to our house to stay,

An’ wash the cups and saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs

away,

An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth,

an’ sweep,

An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-

an’-keep;

An’ all us other children, when the supper things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun

A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ’at Annie tells about,

An’ the Gobble-uns ’at gits you

Ef you

Don’t

Watch

Out!

Onc’t there was a little boy wouldn’t say his pray’rs — 

An’ when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,

His mammy heerd him holler, an’ his daddy heerd him

bawl,

An’ when they turn’t the kivvers down, he wasn’t there at

all!

An’ they seeked him in the rafter-room, an’ cubby-hole,

an’ press,

An’ seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an’ ever’wheres, I

guess;

445

But all they ever found was thist his pants an’ round-

about!

An’ the Gobble-uns’ll git you

Ef you

Don’t

Watch

Out!

An’ one time a little girl ’ud allus laugh an’ grin,

An’ make fun of ever’ one, an’ all her blood-an-kin;

An’ onc’t when they was “company,” an’ ole folks was

there,

She mocked ’em an’ shocked ’em, an’ said she didn’t care!

An’ thist as she kicked her heels, an’ turn’t to run an’ hide,

They was two great big Black Things a’-standin’ by her

side,

An’ they snatched her through the ceilin’ ’fore she knowed

what she’s about!

An’ the Gobble-uns’ll git you

Ef you

Don’t

Watch

Out!

An’ little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,

An’ the lamp wick sputters, an’ the wind goes woo-oo!

An’ you hear the crickets quit, an’ the moon is gray,

An’ the lightnin’-bugs in dew is all squenched away, — 

You better mind yer parents, and yer teachers fond and

dear,

An’ churish them ’at loves you, an’ dry the orphant’s tear,

An’ he’p the pore an’ needy ones ’at clusters all about,

Er the Gobble-uns’ll git you

Ef you

Don’t

Watch

Out!











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